Each Friday, our media roundtable dives into the biggest stories of the week. Among our topics this week:
- Ugly, personal and 13 hours long: The City Council’s budget debate finally wraps with a $2 billion deal.
- First responders worry what the new tax rollback means for public safety.
- An environmental lawsuit seeking to ban beach driving in American Beach engenders the law of unintended consequences.
- Jacksonville agrees to incentivize film and TV production to the tune of $400,000.
- Florida’s new open carry law goes live.
Guests:
- Mike Mendenhall, City Hall reporter and associate editor at Jacksonville Today.
- Tricia Booker, author and journalism professor at the University of North Florida.
- Jake Stofan, city and state government reporter at Action News Jax.
- Obi Umunna, attorney and political consultant.
Then, the Great American Scarecrow Festival gives everyone a chance to create their own strawman. The annual event includes a pumpkin toss, scarecrow bingo, live music, even a chance to “walk the plank” with costumed privateers. The festival benefits the St. Johns County-based charity Pie in the Sky, which brings meals and regular visits to seniors facing hunger and isolation with the goal of helping “seniors age in place with dignity.”
Guest:
- Malea Guiriba, founder and CEO of Pie in the Sky.